The Walton Arts Center has announced a must-see lineup for their 33rd Broadway season, including six shows direct from Broadway making a stop on their first-ever national tours! Four of those shows will be making their Arkansas debuts in Fayetteville, AR, shining a spotlight on the healthy and lively theater and arts scene in Northwest Arkansas.

Every Broadway season at the Walton Arts Center is a thrill, but this year's spread is particularly exciting! The titles range from Broadway classics to celebrations of pop sensations, with modernized favorites and magical moments for the whole family.

The Broadway Series is a pillar of the Walton Arts Center’s annual programming and has been drawing larger and larger crowds to Dickson Street and downtown Fayetteville, AR each year. During the 2021/22 Broadway season, a near sold-out double run of Hamilton saw visitors flocking to Fayetteville from all over the region for the opportunity to experience the world-class production in Baum Walker Hall. This year, we see Hamilton return as a Broadway Bonus. For good reason, experiencing a Broadway Series show at the Walton Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville is one of the most popular things to do in Northwest Arkansas!

The Broadway Series and Broadway Bonus 2024/25 season will begin in August with performances running through May 2025. Announced titles include:

Hamilton is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education.

Hamilton features book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards®, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

This extraordinary musical full of excitement and adventure features iconic and timeless songs including “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Neverland.” Peter Pan embraces the child in us all, so go on a journey from the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning – your entire family will be Hooked!

It’s showtime! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, Beetlejuice is “screamingly good fun!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surfaces (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love and making the most of every Day-O!

This musical is recommended for ages 13 and up. Contains strong language, mature references and a lot of the crazy, inappropriate stuff you would expect from a deranged demon.

Since then, more than 2.1 million theater-goers across America have been delighted by this heart-warming holiday musical, which The New York Times praised as “100 times better than any bedtime story” and the Gannett papers hailed as “A genius of a show! A total delight for both kids and adults.”

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical features the hit songs "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas” (written by Albert Hague and Dr. Seuss) from the original animated series. Max the Dog narrates while the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is "two sizes too small," decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday-loving Whos. Magnificent sets (John Lee Beatty) and costumes (Robert Morgan) inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations help transport audiences to the whimsical world of Whoville, while the music and book of Mel Marvin and Timothy Mason breathe new life into this timeless story of the true meaning of Christmas. The 2024 production is directed by Matt August and choreographed by Bob Richard based on the original choreography by John DeLuca and originally created by 3-time Tony Award® winning director, Jack O’Brien.

Shucked is the Tony Award®-winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Rober Horn (Tootsie, Designing Women), a score by the Grammy Award®-winning songwriting team Brandy Clack and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”), and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’ Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.

This musical is recommended for ages 10 and up. Contains adults themes, moments of adult language and a harvest of corny innuendo.

With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one.

Nominated for 12 Tony® Awards and the winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography,  Ain't Too Proud tells the thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal, as the group's personal and political conflicts threatened to tear them apart during a decade of civil unrest in America. 

Written by three-time Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys), and featuring the Tony-winning choreography of Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, On Your Feet!), the unforgettable story of this legendary quintet is set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and so many more.

The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” The Washington Post says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show calls it "Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal."

It’s THE BOOK OF MORMON, the nine-time Tony Award® winning Best Musical.

This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing room only productions in London, on Broadway and across North America, THE BOOK OF MORMON has truly become an international sensation.

The sensational Broadway revival dazzles with celebrated classic songs, including “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People.” This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened — she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.

Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, an updated book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, choreography by Ellenore Scott and direction from Michael Mayer, this love letter to the theater has the whole shebang!

Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical, Back to the Future is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future  trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by the Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel” and “Back in Time.”

When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past and send himself...back to the future. When Back to the Future hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theater history forever.

Created by Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. MJ is startin’ somethin’ as it makes its Northwest Arkansas premiere at Walton Arts Center in May 2025.

For more information about the 2024/25 Broadway Series, please visit the Walton Arts Center website.